The scene: Acollective quietly started the evening with a mournful piano ballad performed solo on keyboard by vocalist Idan Rabinovici. The innocuous beginning set up the audience for a surprisingly dynamic and high-energy set by this indie band from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Acollective’s sound was an exciting melting pot of genres -- folk, jazz, funk, Middle Eastern, electronic and indie rock were just some of the styles in their repertoire. Part of the fun of seeing the band live was the sheer number of instruments they employed. Besides the usual rock arsenal of guitar and drums, the band members played saxophone, harmonica, mandolin, Macbook and even melodica.

The band also brought a variety of personalities to the stage. Rabinivici, when he wasn’t hammering on the keyboard, marched around in a black suit and cowboy boots waving his hands like a band leader. Vocalist Roy Rieck’s singing and harmonica playing was a soulful contrast to Rabinovici’s deadpan delivery. Guitarist Yosi Mizrachi owned the stage, hopping around in a fedora and pink jacket, while supplying atmospheric fretwork and quite a bit of cheerleading.

Athens’ Futurebirds played a crowd-pleasing set of loud, ramshackle country rock. The band, led by guitarist/vocalist Carter King, had an affable charm and seemed to be as excited about being on stage as the audience was about seeing them. With copious harmonies and a whole mess o’ noisy guitars, Futurebirds’ music was the aural equivalent of a torn-up pair of jeans: dirty, timeless and comfortable.

The heart and soul of the band were Thomas Johnson and Dennis Love, respectively. Johnson, with his mountain-man beard and trucker hat, pumped up the songs with banjo and psychedelic guitar playing. Love sat behind the pedal steel, stone faced and nearly invisible at the side of the stage, providing a “high and lonesome sound” that elevated the emotional punch of the songs.

In a democratic move, almost every member got a turn at the microphone. There was a lot of instrument swapping as even drummer Payton Bradford stepped from behind the kit to play guitar and sing on “Red Top Girl."

The crowd: It took a few songs for the crowd to warm up to Acollective’s eclectic style, but by the end of the performance everyone was up and dancing.

Most of the audience was comprised of Futurebirds’ loyal fans, many of whom likely came down from Athens to see them. As soon as the band strummed their first chord the fans packed the foot of the stage and the aisles. Seat assignments went right out the window.

Highlights: During “Whiskey Eyes," Acollective’s Idan and Roy Rabinovici shared the keyboard for some jaunty ragtime while Roy Rieck huffed out a scorching harmonica solo.